Cooking outdoors is a summer tradition, and there are few things more satisfying than the flavor of barbecued meat. But which wood should you use for smoking? When it comes to smoking meats, there are a few different types of wood that are commonly used.
Hickory is a popular choice, but mesquite can give your food a smokier flavor that some people prefer. Both kinds of wood have their own unique flavor profiles, so it ultimately comes down to personal preference.
In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at hickory vs mesquite and help you decide which is the best choice for your next cookout.
What is hickory wood and where does it come from?
Hickory is a type of deciduous tree that is native to Eastern North America. It has a tall height and “hairy” bark, which differentiates it from its relatives, the pecan and walnut trees. Its leaves are large and circular, growing in an alternate pattern on long stems that grow vertically.
The hickory fruit is a nut with a very hard shell called a “burr”, which was traditionally used by Native Americans for making flour before maize became widely available.
Many hickories have strong, distinct flavors. In fact, hickory wood has often been referred to as one of the most popular smoking woods due mostly to this reason.
As such, hickory smoke produces strong flavors that can overwhelm lighter tasting meats such as poultry and seafood. That’s why hickory is often used for smoking “strong” meats, such as beef and pork.
Hickory wood chips are readily available at all grocery stores that sell grilling supplies or online at Amazon and other retailers
What is mesquite wood and where does it come from?
Mesquite trees grow in the hot desert environments of Southwestern North America and Northern Mexico. They have a distinct appearance due to their multi-stem system: each tree grows multiple trunks that create a unique shape, very different than hickories.
Mesquite grows quickly and can reach up to 30 feet tall in just 8 years. The bark is thin and often attracts insects. Most hickories grow in an alternate pattern, but that is not true for most mesquite trees. In fact, the leaves of a mesquite tree are arranged oppositely from hickories and most other similar species.
Mesquite wood contains resins and sugars that help it burn at incredibly high temperatures – perfect for quick grilling or smoking meats! These properties make it a popular choice among barbecue enthusiasts cooking over open flames.
Mesquite has a strong flavor due to these same factors, which is ideal for complementing grilled/smoked foods but might be overwhelming when used on lighter tasting meats like poultry or seafood.
So why hickory vs mesquite?
Because they are the two best kinds of wood for smoking! Hickory is often used to smoke food simply because it’s readily available at grocery stores. However, hickory chips can be overpowering when used with lighter meats.
Mesquite is incredible for cooking over an open flame or in smokers since its high sap concentration leads to incredibly hot, consistent flames that last a long time.
That said, its intense flavors tend to be more suited for heavy foods like beef, pork and lamb rather than chicken/seafood/vegetables; hickory doesn’t have this same quality – it leaves strong flavors but not necessarily intense ones (although some hickories are quite strong).
The one thing hickory has on mesquite is availability. Mesquite wood is expensive and hickory chips are cheap – but if you’re looking for quality, don’t buy hickory! Pick up mesquite wood chips instead for an easy way to smoke your meats that will have everyone asking what secret ingredient you used.
Mesquite needs light, sweet woods like fruit or nut woods to balance out its high sugar content while hickory can be paired with many different types of wood without being overwhelmed. When in doubt, go with hickory – it’s more versatile than mesquite and produces flavors that are perfect for barbecuing!
The benefits of hickory wood vs mesquite wood.
The benefits of hickory wood:
Hickory wood gives grilled foods a sweet, nutty flavor with hints of vanilla, which makes it an excellent choice for smoking fish or poultry. Hickory is the most popular smoke wood used in North Carolina barbecue – hickory smoked hams are one of the most prized regional products there!
When hickory is burned at low temps, it’s easy to see why this tree earned its reputation as being easily obtainable and very versatile. It can be mixed with other woods without overpowering them, which allows you to enjoy hickory flavors while experimenting with different combinations.
This quality makes hickory versatile but also limits its gastronomic appeal – hickory doesn’t have a “wow” factor when it comes to taste.
There are many hickory species but all hickories produce a very pungent smoke, so it’s best to mix hickory with other milder-tasting woods like maple, pecan and apple.
Hickory is known for giving meats a strong flavor but if you’re smoking something that isn’t powerful enough in the first place – such as salmon or chicken – then hickory will end up overpowering your food!
If this starts happening, remove some of the hickory chips from your smoker box and add different wood instead.
Mesquite can be mixed with any type of wood without being overwhelmed since its intense, smoky flavor works well with a wide variety of dishes. It pairs particularly well with beef and poultry, although hickory is a good alternative for these foods as well.
The benefits of mesquite wood.
Mesquite produces meat that is often characterized as having a sweet, earthy flavor. It pairs well with beef and hearty vegetables but can be overwhelmed when used to smoke lighter foods like seafood or poultry.
However, hickory wood has the opposite effect – hickory smoked hams are one of the most prized regional products in North Carolina!
Hickory gives grilled food a sweet, nutty flavor with hints of vanilla, making it an excellent choice for smoking fish or poultry – hickory is used more than any other smoke wood in North Carolina barbecue due to its availability and versatility.
Mesquite needs a light, sweet woods like fruit or nut woods to balance out its high sugar content while hickory can be paired with many different types of wood without being overwhelmed.
Hickory is more versatile than mesquite and produces flavors that work well on a wide variety of dishes – hickory gives foods a strong flavor but it’s not as overpowering as mesquite wood chips!
Hickory: hickory smoke is perfect for barbecuing foods like beef, pork and chicken. It can be mixed with other woods to create flavorful smoke combos! Less intense hickories are great for smoking lighter foods such as seafood or poultry.
Mesquite: pairs well with beef and hearty vegetables but isn’t suited for meats that aren’t full-bodied enough through natural means alone (such as salmon or chicken). Mesquite smoked hams are some of the most prized hams in North Carolina!
Hickory Vs Mesquite, Which Is Better?
Hickory is a fantastic smoking wood that can be used for many different types of cooking. It’s great with pork and all red meats, but it also works well in fish or poultry dishes too!
The flavor from hickory doesn’t overpower your meal as other woods might do- instead, they give food an authentic taste you won’t find anywhere else
In addition to being delicious on its own terms (especially when mixed), this bold note will harmonize perfectly alongside other flavors such as vanilla extract during those low n slow cooks where simplicity really shines through.
Mesquite is a great wood for grilling and smoking steak, ribs and roasts. It has a strong flavor that works well on these types of meat. Mesquite gives food an earthy tone that can be both sweet or spicy depending on the dish.
Hickory Wood: hickory wood gives meats a smoky, tangy flavor – hickory smoke is perfect for barbecuing beef, pork and chicken! Hickory chips are a classic way to give food an authentic barbecue taste.
Mesquite Wood: mesquite wood needs other flavors to accompany it, but hickory can be mixed with many different types of woods to create a wide range of flavors! Less intense hickories are great for smoking lighter foods such as seafood or poultry.
If you want to smoke beef brisket, hickory is your wood of choice. This strong and hearty meat goes well with hickory’s equally powerful flavor.
If you’re making smoked chicken, opt for a milder tasting wood like apple or cherry instead. Hickory would be too overwhelming in this case – it would overpower the chicken!
For fish, we recommend using a softer wood like wild grape (although hickory will suffice). Avoid hickory and mesquite here as they don’t pair well with fish.
When grilling vegetables or other meats/vegetables that aren’t smoke-able, avoid hickory and mesquite altogether; use fruit woods such as apple or cherry instead. They won’t add any smoky flavor but rather subtle fruity undertones.
How do you use each type of wood, and what dishes are best suited for them?
Mesquite wood is most often used in Southwestern cooking, particularly grilling. This is due to its high sugar content; mesquite burns hotter than hickory and produces more smoke.
It’s also the preferred wood for smoking beef, as hickory can be overpowering if not mixed with a milder type of wood.
Hickory should be mixed with a lighter flavored wood such as apple or cherry so it doesn’t overpower your food! It’s good for smoked hams and fish but shouldn’t be used to smoke lighter fare such as seafood or poultry.
Mesquite: grill thicker cuts of meat that require longer cooking times as well as vegetables that need a stronger flavor (such as zucchini, eggplant, winter squash and corn).
Hickory: hickory smoke is perfect for barbecuing foods like beef, pork and chicken. It can be mixed with other woods to create flavorful smoke combos! Less intense hickories are great for smoking lighter foods such as seafood or poultry.
When grilling vegetables or other meats/vegetables that aren’t smoke-able, avoid hickory and mesquite altogether; use fruit woods such as apple or cherry instead. They won’t add any smoky flavor but rather subtle fruity undertones.
How to tell if a piece of wood is good for smoking or not?
If you have hickory or mesquite wood that isn’t being used, snap a piece of it off. If the bark falls off easily, then your hickory is ready to be used!
Mesquite should have clean breaks when you break the slivers off with your fingers.
Hickory is very dark in color and has a craggy appearance – hickory is the heaviest smoke producer so don’t be afraid to use logs instead of chips if hickory bark isn’t loose enough!
When cooking on electric smokers, hickory works best as chips rather than blocks due to its high fat content (which drips into the burner unit). Mesquite can be used regardless of the type of smoker you have because it’s a good choice for chips or blocks.
A good hickory or mesquite stick will smell like burning wood. It’s that simple!
If you’re buying hickory chunks for smoking, look for hickory that’s gray in color and porous (all hickory is porous but the most suitable hickories are lighter in color with deep pores). Good hickory chunks should be hard to the touch instead of soft.
Wood pellets which are made from sawdust can also be used for smoking food; their advantage over logs is they’re lightweight, easy to transport and won’t take up much room – perfect if you’re planning to smoke food outside.
The downside is these pellets burn faster than logs do, so it may be necessary to replenish your hickory or mesquite coal more often.
The difference between hickory smoke and mesquite smoke:
Hickory is more pungent than mesquite because hickory has a higher fat content. Mesquite, by contrast, is sweeter and less rancid than hickory.
A hickory or mesquite chip will burn for approximately 20 minutes while hickory wood chunks can last up to 4 hours. The temperature of hickories smoke is between 250°F-275°F (121°C-135°C) while mesquites smoke temperature is about 400°F (204°Cs).
Trees that are native to North America will be the best options for smoking food; non-native trees won’t produce as strong a flavor as you’d expect – they’re not meant to provide intense flavor as the hickories and mesquites of North America can.
One more thing: hickory smokes at a much higher temperature than mesquite does, so hickory chips are typically used for people who want to cook hot and fast Texas-style barbecue.
If you’re cooking slowly at a lower temperature, use hickory wood chunks instead – they won’t burn as quickly as hickory chips do. Mesquite is best used when cooking with both smoking techniques because it works well with low heat, but is also good with high heat!
Tips:
-If hickory isn’t producing any smoke at all, soak fresh slices in water for 30 minutes before use.
-Mesquite can be burned from branches that have been collected from plants, but keep in mind leaves should only be cut from non-poisonous plants; hickory and mesquite branches should be free of sap and loose bark before they’re used.
-If you don’t want to buy hickory or mesquite wood logs then check out your local grocery store – hickory and mesquite are often sold in bags as smoking chips!
If you have any questions about what will work best for your food or which flavor profile would be the most compatible to go along with your meat/vegetables, feel free to leave a comment below!
Final Thoughts:
When comparing Hickory vs Mesquite, they each have their own distinct flavor but hickory and mesquite both create a similar type of smoke. If you’re using a smoker, hickories are the best choice while mesquites can be used for either smoking or grilling/barbecuing.
Fruit woods such as apple and cherry would work better if you’re going to grill vegetables because they won’t add smokiness to your food – just subtle hints of fruitiness!
Hickory and mesquite are both great woods to use when cooking, but it ultimately comes down to personal preference.
If you like a smokier flavor that fills the air with its scent while you’re grilling, then hickory may be your best choice because it burns slower than other types of wood and helps maintain a consistent heat in the grill.
However, if you prefer less smokey flavors or want an easier time maintaining control over how hot your coals burn, then mesquite is probably better for you since this type of wood burns faster so there’s no need to worry about temperature fluctuations from one moment to the next.
In either case though, we recommend using at least two different types of fuel so that they can work together to create a full, robust flavor profile. If hickory and mesquite combined taste great on their own, then hickory and oak or hickory and pecan will work even better!
Lastly, just because hickory is the most popular type of wood for smoking doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t use other types as well – they just might not provide as strong of an effect as hickory does so they may need to be supplemented with coals made from hickory wood.
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